A former Gulfport police officer has been tabbed as the top official of the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA).
The nonprofit organization’s national board this week appointed Craig Petersen as president during an official swearing-in ceremony held in Kansas City, Mo.
Petersen was sworn in by Ret. Chief Alan Weatherford, NA Session 208, from the Gulfport Police Department. The new president succeeds Scott Rhoad, Ret. Chief/Director of Public Safety for the University of Central Missouri.
For 25 years, Petersen served in the Gulfport Police Department where he retired as the force’s deputy chief of police in June 2022.
A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Petersen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He also went on to attend Delta State University where he earned a Master of Science Degree in Social Justice and Criminology before graduating from the FBI National Academy Session 245.
Petersen has been active for many years in the FBI National Academy Associates. He is the past president of the Mississippi chapter and also served on the board of directors for the FBINAA Charitable Foundation.
Prior to his new position, Petersen was on the FBINAA National Board as the Section III representative and vice president.
The FBINAA is a non-profit, international organization of more than 14,000 senior law enforcement professionals dedicated to providing communities, states, countries, and professions with the highest degree of law enforcement expertise, training, education, and information.